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Monday, March 4, 2013

Fighting the Battle

Last week, I gained 2.5 pounds. Ugh! I haven't had a weight gain in a long time, so I'm not really upset about it - it happens! I had Las Vegas, our local Greek Food Festival, and the arrival of Girl Scout cookies all in the same week!! I definitely over did it with my food, but I'm okay with that.

Life is about finding balance, not being on a diet. I actually think this gain was a good thing. I'd been getting a little complacent in my habits. I was still tracking my calories and eating mostly clean foods, but I was really wanting to take a break from it. So I did! And now I see the results of that break.

It felt good to eat that crepe in Paris (Vegas) and the chicken marsala in The Venetian.

Those FOUR (yes, four) Greek desserts I ate? They were awesome. So were the honey puffs.

But post-vacation, back to normal life - how did I feel? I felt frustrated. I spent most of Wednesday night battling cravings in my mind. Luckily, I was at youth group so I was busy. But, my mind was still thinking about cake, brownies, ice cream, etc. I contemplated stopping for a Shamrock shake on the way home, even though I was already at my calorie limit for the day. I wanted to give into that craving. But, I thought back to that blog I wrote awhile ago about reframing your mind and asking "What if I don't eat this?".

I answered the question. If I don't eat the junk, I will stay within my calorie limit for the day. If I don't eat the sugary junk I want, I will begin getting my mind and body back to not craving those foods. If I don't give into the craving, I will be proud of my choices and feel empowered rather than defeated.

This one thinking was like flipping a switch. Thursday, I was back. The cravings were pretty much gone. At the gym, I upped all of my weights. I ran a mile as a warm up at a pace that used to be my 30 second sprint pace. I got back in control.

I hopped on the scale over the weekend and you know what? Those 2.5 pounds I'd gained were already nearly gone. That's what's different this time. I didn't let a few days of less control erase months of hard work. And it feels awesome!